In central Afghanistan, in Bamiyan, it's time to harvest the wheat for many farmers and families. Bamiyan is about 120 miles northwest of Kabul and stands in a lush valley that stretches more than 60 miles through central Afghanistan. The valley is on the former Silk Road that once connected China with Central Asia and beyond. The town was once home to two nearly 2,000-year-old Buddha statues that were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. They were the two tallest standing Buddhas in the world. In addition to destroying the Buddhas, the Taliban also entered the Kabul Museum wielding sledgehammers and smashing 2,500 priceless artifacts stored there.

Actually, you should all take a look at this BBC news item about the Taliban sending representatives to Texas to negotiate the building of a gas pipeline with Unocal. Also, US, Saudi, Pakistani, and British intelligence organizations helped fund the Taliban. A war for freedom and human rights? Here's the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/west_asia/37021.stm

Actually, you should all take a look at this BBC news item about the Taliban sending representatives to Texas to negotiate the building of a gas pipeline with Unocal. Also, US, Saudi, Pakistani, and British intelligence organizations helped fund the Taliban. A war for freedom and human rights?

I've sat on the top of the head of the tallest Buddha there. There were wonderful paintings way up there in the arch over Buddha. I was horrified when I saw the footage of it being blown up by the Taliban. Actually it was a local who placed the dynamite, hanging by ropes. He was forced to do it by the Taliban. Nothing to do with Pakistan. The locals in Bamian were very warm and hospitable. I spent several nights sleeping on the Afghan carpets in the local chai khanna (tea house). Wonderful memories. I was there in 1971 and 1976. One morning I walked to the edge of town to hitch-hike back to Kabul. I waited there all day long and not one vehicle came by. That's when you know you're in the boonies. I walked back to the chai khanna and spent another night. Best food in the world. Some of the best people in the world. Even then there were radicals. I met one that wanted to destroy America with a nuclear bomb. I spent a night at his place. He spoke some English so we talked and I could not get anywhere with him. I had an American flag sewn on my jeans. Perhaps not the wisest idea, but it did bring folks out to talk with me. My message was peace.

Religious nuts have been destroying great ancient art treasures forever out of idiotic religious zeal (and greed). The Spanish took American (Mayan, Incan) gold sculptures and melted them down just for the gold and silver. Faith and belief has this stultifying effect (and righteousness) on followers of their doctrines. This makes all their misdeeds and stupidity OK (to them). VERY destructive and inexcusable.

Yeah, kind of like Joseph Stalin turning the Kremlin Cathedral from a beautiful place of worship into a block of offices, from which this devoted athiest decided the fate of millions; he created a Holocaust that dwarfed that of Nazi Germany.

The Taliban fighters are only carrying out what Pakistan tells them to do. They wouldn't blow up those huge Buddha's nor take sledgehammers to the Museum to destroy all pre-Muslim religious icons and history unless Pakistan ordered them to do so. Blaming all of this very well coordinated destruction in Afghanistan upon some unknown masked men is simply a falsehood and entirely misleading. The Orders for each of those operations came directly from the Pakistani ISI to the Taliban commanders in Afghanistan to carry out those individual tasks. PAKISTAN.

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Afghanistan Crossroads is where CNN's reporting converges -- bringing you a diversity of voices, stunning images and video, global perspectives and the latest news from on the ground in Afghanistan and around the world.